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Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Personally Speaking: HSPs, Being Seen and the Big Time

Although HSPs are often known for being "quietly in the background," we do sometimes hit "The Big Time." And sometimes... you MUST do something, in order to make a DIFFERENCE in the world. In this post-- which is a little different from the usual "HSP Notes" fare-- I am going to call on you to DO something, and to help become a part of changing our world!

15 years ago, the concept of being "an HSP" was new. For years, few people knew what "an HSP" was, and few took the idea seriously. But slowly... a broader societal awareness of highly sensitive people has spread. This has not come easily. Why? As a group, we HSPs aren't big on "being seen," for any number of reasons... from bad experiences in the past, to simply not liking it when someone "looks at us."

Of course, this can set up a bit of a paradox... because how can we hope to have the trait of being Highly Sensitive become a household concept when we're not willing to (or afraid to) stand up and toot our own horns and talk about our "cause?"

In writing the orginial "Highly Sensitive Person" book (and subsequently several other books) Dr. Elaine Aron became the first HSP to "stand up and be seen" on a large scale.

Over the past couple of decades, I have met many HSPs who express how grateful they are to Elaine Aron for her books and her work... and immediately follow it up with words like "... but I could NEVER do something like that!"

The good news for the rest of us is that there are HSPs who go out and face The Big Time.

Most recently, Susan Cain-- an introverted HSP-- authored the book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." Although the book is not directly about HSPs, Susan is very much an HSP herself... and with a book that has been among the top 100 most sold books in the US for several months now, she is standing up and "being seen;" doing book tours, TED talks, TV appearances, interviews and more. We are all being helped because she is "showing up for life" as an empowered HSP with a global mission...

Fast forward to right now.

This is where I am going to get much "closer to home," and where I'm going to ask YOU-- as a reader of these pages-- to "show up for life" and DO something! But don't worry... you won't have to appear on TV. In fact, you won't even have to leave your chair.

As some of you know, I am not just an HSP myself, I am married to a fellow HSP... who also happens to be a Spiritual Intuitive, Empath and Life Coach for HSPs. She's also co-founder of non-profit healing organization (founded in 2001) called the White Light Express-- I have briefly written about it here, before. Whereas the White Light Express is not specifically about HSPs, its healing work focus and mission is of a nature that appeals to many HSPs, so it draws very heavily from the global HSP Community.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, August 8th) night, the "Big Time" begins, for our little organization... when Sarah (my wife) be on live national radio, on "Coast to Coast with George Noory" (Yes, it's the same show that used to be "Coast to Coast with Art Bell" before Art Bell retired). At 10pm Pacific/1am Eastern (US), my lovely HSP wife moves from the relatively low profile of small podcasts, a web site and occasional notices in the local paper, to spend an hour talking to George Noory about healing and her White Light Express organization, while reaching out to a live radio audience of five million people across the USA and beyond.

Whereas the radio segment is not specifically "about" HSPs, it becomes another example of an HSP "showing up for life" on a big scale that can potentially touch and change the lives of thousands and thousands of people. And because one person stand up and is "seen," we all benefit.

So, what am I going to ask you to DO?

Well, if you can, tune in to the show! If you want to listen to the show as streaming audio from the Coast to Coast, you'll have to become a Coast to Coast member. Otherwise (if you live in the US), you can visit this page on the Coast to Coast site and find a radio station that airs the show near you.

But more importantly... we'd both like to invite you to become involved with the White Light Express, and the healing journeys it promotes. Don't just "watch," be PART of something! And no worries, it doesn't cost anything.

So-- for starters-- go visit the web site and see what the White Light Express is about, and stands for.

Subscribe to White Light Express updates. Believe me, it IS a secure list... I should know; I am co-keeper of the list, and your contact info is not going ANYwhere. Period. Don't mind the somewhat "neutral" looking signup form... we JUST got it installed and haven't had time to customize it yet.

But MOST of all-- join our healing community! Signup is quick, secure and easy. How do I know it's safe and secure? Because it's on the same network system where I have hosted my own Pacific Northwest HSP Network for over four years... several hundred HSPs already trust it; this is just a different group. How do I know it's appropriate for HSPs? Because the founder is one, and many of our participant-members are, as well.

1 comment:

I agree with Peter one hundred percent. The cause is worthwhile for HSP's and the planet, which can use all the white light we can send it right now. The sign up process is easy and relatively painless. It only takes a few minutes and you will be part of a true worldwide healing organization. (I have faith in how large this will be). You can add your energy even if you feel you don't have any particular healing ability. Everyone has healing ability, through meditation, prayer or just wishing for things to change. Whether or not you have trained to enhance your skills please join because your energy may be the little bit extra needed to send light to the planet.

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Welcome to HSP Notes!

I am a Highly Sensitive Person. I have always known this, but I discovered there was a "name" for it in 1997, and have spent the ensuing years learning all I can about the innate aspects of the trait, about myself, and what it means in my life. Although relatively few people are aware of it, as many as 15%-20% of the population are HSPs. Unfortunately, "being sensitive" carries some incorrect negative connotations and cultural biases that often lead sensitive people to "misdiagnose" themselves, or hide their true nature.

This site is much more than just "a blog;" since 2002 it has offered a conglomeration of articles, personal stories, HSP community news, as well as an HSP Bookstore, information resources for HSPs, whether you've just discovered that "Hey! This is ME!" or have been exploring the meaning of "being sensitive" for a long time. Welcome, and thank you for your interest!

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Learning About the HSP Trait

Having had the privilege of meeting 100s of fellow HSPs in person, and 1000s in cyberspace, I have learned that the single most important difference between those who feel like they are suffering with their sensitivity, and those who are thriving, is information and knowledge. The more you know and understand, the more you can work with your sensitivity as a gift, rather than experiencing it as a burden.

The links in the first section below are to some of the most significant informational HSP sites on the web. The second set of links are to therapists and life coaches who have a thorough understanding of the trait-- most of them I know personally, and they generally accept phone/email/online chat sessions. The third links section includes web sites I believe to be "of general interest" to HSPs, based on the common interests highly sensitive people have shared with me, over the years.

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The Importance of Connecting

Another extremely important way for an HSP to find inner peace is "connection." This may sound counterintuitive to those who are introverts, reclusive and feel easily overstimulated by people. However, nobody understands what it is like to be a highly sensitive person like another highly sensitive person. Hence it is very important for HSPs to connect with fellow HSPs.

The links in this section are to sites that offer various ways for HSPs to connect with each other, from web-based discussion groups and forums, to HSP workshops, gatherings and retreats.